Abstract
Germinal centers (GCs) are sites of intense B cell proliferation and are central for T cell-dependent antibody responses. However, the role of c-Myc, a key cell-cycle regulator, in this process has been questioned. Here we identified c-Myc(+) B cell subpopulations in immature and mature GCs and found, by genetic ablation of Myc, that they had indispensable roles in the formation and maintenance of GCs. The identification of these functionally critical cellular subsets has implications for human B cell lymphomagenesis, which originates mostly from GC B cells and frequently involves MYC chromosomal translocations. As these translocations are generally dependent on transcription of the recombining partner loci, the c-Myc(+) GC subpopulations may be at a particularly high risk for malignant transformation.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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B-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology*
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B-Lymphocytes / immunology
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B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
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B-Lymphocytes / pathology
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Cell Cycle / genetics*
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Cell Cycle / immunology
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Cell Proliferation
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / immunology
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Gene Deletion
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Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
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Genes, Reporter
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Genetic Loci
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Germinal Center / immunology
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Germinal Center / metabolism*
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Germinal Center / pathology
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Lymphoma / genetics
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Lymphoma / metabolism
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Lymphoma / pathology
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Mice
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Mice, Transgenic
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / deficiency
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / immunology
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Signal Transduction / genetics
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Signal Transduction / immunology
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T-Lymphocytes / immunology
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T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
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T-Lymphocytes / pathology
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Translocation, Genetic
Substances
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Myc protein, mouse
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
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Green Fluorescent Proteins